January 4, 2017

1517newparentemployeesupportgroup250Having a new baby is a life-changing experience, filled with both joy and challenges. For many new and seasoned parents, a baby can bring unexpected difficulty and stress as they adjust to new family dynamics and feeding routines.

During such times in early parenthood, social support can help parents manage their stress, feel more confident in their parenting abilities as they discover new information, and share common experiences and knowledge.

To help support our many new parent employees, Texas Children’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), in partnership with The Women’s Place at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, is debuting a new parent employee support group, beginning Wednesday, January 4.

“During my pregnancy, I researched a neighborhood mothers’ group, but when talking to a colleague here, she encouraged me instead to reach out to her friend in another department,” said Vice President of Human Resources Catherine Codispoti. “That’s when I realized we have a fantastic parent support group right here at Texas Children’s.

“Many of our colleagues who work with us every day have struggled with similar parenthood issues/concerns, and as a community, we have an unbelievable wealth of first-hand wisdom and knowledge on how to balance major life commitments such as families, careers, friendships, and communities.”

The new parent employee support group is an open forum and welcomes all Texas Children’s employees who are new parents. The group will meet from noon to 1 p.m. every Wednesday at The Women’s Place in Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. Employees do not have to register and there is no cost – simply complete these two short forms and bring them along to your first meeting. Paper copies will also be available when you check in at The Women’s Place.

In addition to the group meeting, parents also can join the online community on Yammer to ask questions and share resources with fellow colleagues. Contact Texas Children’s Information Services help desk at ext. 4-3512, option 2 to get a Yammer account and join the “New Parent Employee Group.”

June 28, 2016

62916HEI640Texas Children’s was recently recognized as a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization.

Every year, the HRC conducts a unique survey called the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), which benchmarks and encourages equal care for LGBT individuals by evaluating inclusive policies and practices related to LGBT patients, visitors and employees in healthcare organizations throughout the nation.

For the HEI 2016 report, more than 2,000 health care facilities nationwide were included in the survey – a record 568 health care organizations voluntarily participated while the rest were proactively researched by HEI. Texas Children’s is one of only three hospitals – and the only pediatric facility – in Houston to achieve the “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” award.

In order to receive this leadership distinction, Texas Children’s fulfilled the HEI’s Core Four Leader Criteria, which focused on policies and practices considered foundational for equitable and inclusive LGBT care such as patient and employee non-discrimination, equal visitation and training of key staff members.

“We are very proud of this designation. Our philosophy of family-centered care is contingent on providing a safe and respectful environment for our patients and their families as well as our caregivers to foster open communication and teamwork.” said David Wykes, director of Employee Relations. “As a leader in pediatric health care, we must lead by example, and this designation further exemplifies Texas Children’s dedication to our mission of providing quality health care to our patients and families regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation and ability to pay.”

Click here to learn more about the HEI.

March 15, 2016

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As Texas Children’s continues to expand our facilities and services to advance health care for children and women around the world, it is of the utmost importance for us to identify, recruit, engage and retain the best talent. To keep up with this expansive growth, Talent Acquisition is launching national recruitment strategies and investing in new and advanced technology. On Monday, April 18, Texas Children’s will be going live with a new applicant tracking system (ATS).

“These are exciting times for Texas Children’s as we are in the midst of unprecedented growth for the organization,” said Matt Perkins, assistant vice president of Talent Acquisition. “We need to continue to grow our community of team members who will unite, energize and inspire Texas Children’s with their infinite passion to deliver on our important mission.”

Powered by iCims, this ATS provides us with new technology, which works with PeopleSoft to enhance our current recruitment processes and experiences for both external and internal candidates, our hiring leaders as well as new hires.

“There are many features that will help us throughout the recruitment process in a more thoughtful approach that reflects Texas Children’s thought leadership as a premium health care employer,” Perkins said. “There are also social media components that will further engage prospective candidates.”

Learn more about Texas Children’s new ATS by clicking here.

As part of the transition to this new system, five online webinars will be available to Hiring Leaders from Tuesday, March 29 to Thursday, March 31. Hiring Leaders will receive a separate communication from HR Communications with details about these training sessions and how to register.

March 17, 2015

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Click on the graphic for a larger view.

Did you know that Texas Children’s is contributing to your retirement right now?

Unlike many other organizations, Texas Children’s offers employees both a fully funded Cash Balance Pension Plan and a 403 (b) plan with match dollars. The organization recently posted its 2014 deposit into the Cash Balance Pension Plan, which Texas Children’s pays the full cost of and you are automatically enrolled in on April 1 or October 1 once you reach 21 years old and have worked 1,000 hours or more during the 12 consecutive months after your initial date of hire.

To see how much your Cash Balance Pension Plan has grown, log in to Mercer’s website at www.ibenefitcenter.com. The website has useful tools that allow you to view your balance, estimate your future pension balance and verify/update your beneficiary information.

To learn more about the Cash Balance Pension Plan, click here to view the summary plan description or call the Texas Children’s Hospital Pension Plan Support Team at 800-752-8230 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

In addition to the Cash Balance Pension Plan, Texas Children’s offers a 403 (b) plan. If you are not already enrolled in the plan, you should consider doing so. You don’t want to miss out on Texas Children’s 50 percent match of the first 6 percent of your pre-tax per paycheck contribution. You can enroll anytime by contacting Fidelity at 800-343-0860 or online at www.fidelity.com/atwork.

It is never too early to start saving for retirement. The Texas Children’s benefits team encourages you to take advantage of all the retirement benefits our organization offers.

“Investing in our people with competitive retirement and other benefits helps Texas Children’s attract, support and retain top talent like you,” said Jim Cuva, assistant director of Human Resources. “That’s why we are committed to your financial well-being.”